Monthly Archive

Who you gonna call? Part II: I have more stuff to say about the diet docs

March 12, 2008

I thought I was done taking down the high-protein, fad-diet, doctor-scam-artists.But I want to say a bit more, starting with this quote from “Dr. Atkins’ Health Revolution”:

“Imagine losing weight with a diet that lets you have bacon and eggs for breakfast, heavy cream in your coffee, plenty of meat and even salad with dressing for lunch and dinner!”

I don’t know if Atkins knew he was hurting millions with this outrageous “advice,” or if he somehow studied the human heart for all those years and remained ignorant of the effects of globs of fatty, cholesterol-dripping junk on your faithful, trusty heart and and arteries.The brilliance of Atkins’ (and Sears’, Agatson’s, and others’) approach is that they got to tell people what they wanted to hear.People WANT to eat eggs and bacon for breakfast.They want to eat a steak for dinner.It’s the fantasy diet of the Southern United States, right?And an M.D. told them they could.

Problem is, like every other diet, Atkins is really just another calorie-restriction program.Add up the caloric intake of a day on the program, and you have about 1,200 calories.If you eat 1,200 calories on ANY diet, you’re going to lose weight.Then you’re going to gain it back when your mind, body, and spirit get sick of being deprived.

And this “ketosis” thing that Atkins tells you to trick your body into?I find the whole idea of tricking or manipulating your body offensive–that would only come from somebody who subscribes to the drug theory of health (a contradiction in terms if there ever was one).No one has studied the long-term effects of “ketosis,” but it’s a highly unnatural state. Don’t trick or manipulate your body. Take good care of it, nourish it, love it: it has served you all these years, and you get only one.

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. accurately calls cancer a “Fruit-and-Vegetable-Deficiency Disease.”And yet what do Atkins and the other protein-mongers ban and criminalize?Most all the foods with the phytonutrients, the insoluble fiber, the power to prevent cancer and heart disease–fruit and most veggies.Campbell’s research in China showed that vegetarians can eat several hundred calories a day more than meat eaters–and are leaner!

Tomorrow I’m moving on, away from the Fat Diet Doctors and onto more of the false gods of nutrition . . .

About Robyn

Robyn Openshaw is the author or editor of 14 titles, including the bestselling book The Green Smoothies Diet, the children's book, The Adventures of Junk Food Dude, and the course 12 Steps to Whole Foods. She’s passionate about overthrowing the Standard American Diet by teaching people to eat more whole foods easily, inexpensively, and deliciously. She’s the mom of 4 competitive athletes as well as a runner, cyclist, skier, and competitive tennis player. She travels all over the world speaking to sold-out audiences and studying non-toxic cancer treatment for her next project.

I think what gets people in trouble is that the are looking for something to just help them lose weight, health doesn’t even enter their mind. We want to be skinnier… we can worry about that healthy thing later. What a joke! DH and I are finally getting this into our thick skulls after how many years of dieting and doing extreme things to lose weight.

We finally figured out that if we can learn to live healthy (and actually do it!) they weight will come off

As one whose husband has had a heart attack and who has widely researched nutrition (both before and after), I believe that Atkins’ claims are way off base. Ketosis is an unnatural, potentially dangerous state for the body to be in. I could go on, but I won’t. Robyn made the point perfectly.

Whenever we look at someone making health claims like this with a diet, the first thing we need to ask ourselves is if it is a balanced, common sense approach or not. “Balance in all things” is my motto.

The contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Robyn Openshaw. Nothing herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This website is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Robyn and should not be construed as medical advice. Robyn encourages you to make your own health and nutrition decisions based upon your research and in partnership with your own qualified professionals.

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